Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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July 3

New York Post

"The Islanders added some organizational depth yesterday, signing three free agents who are likely to spend time with their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport next season. For the second straight day, the Islanders picked up a goalie, this one 27-year-old Scott Munroe, who could serve as a backup to Dwayne Roloson -- who signed with the Islanders on Wednesday -- or go to Bridgeport if Rick DiPietro is healthy. The Isles also added left wing Jeremy Reich and defenseman Brett Westgarth. All three signed one-year, two-way contracts. Munroe spent four seasons in the Flyers system and was called up to Philadelphia, but didn't play last year."

Isles Address Backup Plan

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July 2

New York Post

"The Islanders insist Rick DiPietro is progressing well and will be skating in August, as he usually does, but they clearly aren't taking any chances. Less than a week after picking goalies in the second and third rounds of the NHL Draft, the Isles signed Dwayne Roloson to a two-year deal worth $5 million on the first day of free agency. The former Oiler, who will be 40 this season, fills a gaping hole the Isles had a year ago, when DiPietro was limited to five games after two surgeries to his left knee and they were forced to use Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis. Roloson said the two have known each other since DiPietro entered the league and he anticipates a "friendly competition" between ..."

Islanders reach agreement with goaltender Dwayne Roloson

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July 1

Newsday

"The Islanders have reached an agreement with Edmonton goaltender Dwayne Roloson on a two-year deal believed to be worth $5 million. Signing a veteran starting goaltender solves their top priority, which was to have a 1A-caliber backup for starter Rick DiPietro in the event his injury problems continue."

NHL salary cap traps teams in free agency market

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June 30

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Over the last three summers, the salary cap in the NHL has jumped $17.7 million. The individual increases from year to year were $5 million, $6.3 million and $6.4 million. Teams looking to add help through free agency had a little extra allowance, and many clubs bettered themselves over cash-strapped franchises by spending that allowance. In 2007, Daniel Briere signed an eight-year, $52 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. In 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks inked Brian Campbell to an eight-year, $56.8 million deal. But with the NHL's announcement last week that the salary cap in 2009-10 will increase only $100,000, to $56.8 million, some upper-echelon clubs are expecting a ..."

Islanders tap Tavares as saviour

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June 27

Montreal Gazette

"This had long been seen as a two-colt race - Seabiscuit and War Admiral on skates, without the bad blood and the feuding owners. Seabiscuit, the smaller of the thoroughbreds, was brilliant London Knights centreman John Tavares. The powerful War Admiral: Victor Hedman, a formidable defenceman most recently with Modo of the Swedish Elite League. Tavares and Hedman finished this match race, as it were, just as the magnificent horses did in 1938 - Seabiscuit, by a few lengths. But this time, the Biscuit entered the gate as the favourite, not the underdog. The NHL entry draft at the Bell Centre offered few surprises through its first couple of hours last night, the first of seven rounds to be ..."

Tavares headed to Long Island

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June 27

Toronto Sun

"John Tavares is a New York Islander. And Chris Pronger, it seems, will be a Philadelphia Flyer. Sorry Brian Burke. Your attempts the past two months to move up to a position to pick Tavares just never materialized. With speculation swirling that the Isles might opt for Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman or Brampton forward Matt Duchene, New York did the smart thing and grabbed Tavares, the most gifted natural goal-scorer in the draft. Hedman went second to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Meanwhile Pronger has been dealt by the Anaheim Ducks to the Philadelphia Flyers. Pronger was moved for cap reasons after veteran Scott Niedermayer informed the Ducks today he was returning for another season."

IslandersJohn Tavares with first pick in 2009 NHL Draft in Montreal

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June 27

New York Daily News

"While the Islanders' footprints were all over Friday night's NHL draft, the Rangers wound up staying in place and picking up the quickest feet in the field. The Islanders crowned John Tavares as the new hockey star on Long Island, bringing the sport's biggest new name to a floundering team in desperate need of both scoring and star power. And after watching the Isles cut in front of them on the board once again - and after failing in their own attempts to move up - the Rangers settled on a an 11th-grader whose speed has them smitten. "He's the fastest kid in the draft, flat-out. He dominates with speed," head of player personnel Gordie Clark said of Chris Kreider, an 18-year-old at ..."

Three Cheers for Top Pick at Coliseum

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June 27

New York Post

"Former Islanders winger Mike Bossy knows something about expectations. "When I got here, I was the 15th pick and people said, 'The Islanders finally got their goal-scorer,' " Bossy said after the Isles chose John Tavares with the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft last night. "So there's going to be enormous pressure on him." The Isles got over 10,000 fans to show up to watch the draft on the big screen at the Nassau Coliseum, and in the hour prior to the announcement, they made their feelings known. Any time Tavares was shown on the big screen, the crowd went wild. When the other two possible choices for the top pick, defenseman Victor Hedman and center Matt Duchene, were on the ..."

Islanders Brass Full Of Praise For Tavares

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June 27

New York Post

"John Tavares has been a headline act throughout his junior career, but Charles Wang nevertheless is cautioning against putting the 18-year-old's name above the title on the Islanders' marquee. "He's another building block, but it's not a savior type of thing," the owner said last night shortly after his club selected the consensus first overall selection -- surprise, surprise -- first overall in the Entry Draft. "It's a big deal for all of us, for him and the fans, but hockey is a team game, so it isn't like getting LeBron James, even as good as [Tavares] is." Wang and general manager Garth Snow both insisted that Tavares had been selected because of his ability on the ice, not because of ..."

Coveted Tavares 'Thankful' To Be No. 1 Selection

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June 27

New York Post

"This young man is an Islander. And John Tavares could not be prouder. Defying those who believed that the organization would go off course, as it had so often during Mike Milbury's regime, the Islanders tabbed the most prolific goal-scorer in OHL history with the first overall selection in the NHL Entry Draft last night. Owner Charles Wang, general manager Garth Snow and head coach Scott Gordon not only have a big-time athlete and a marquee name with which to go forward in the quest for credibility and championships, but an athlete who embraces the opportunity to restore glory to the battered shipwreck franchise. There was no equivocation last night from Tavares, no sense that he perceives ..."

With Top Pick, Islanders Choose Goal Scorer in Tavares

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June 27

New York Times

"Whether it was relief or pure joy, 10,000 Islanders fans who had gathered at Nassau Coliseum on Friday night erupted in a prolonged roar when they saw General Manager Garth Snow announce that the team had selected John Tavares, the Ontario Hockey League's career-leading goal scorer, as the No. 1 overall pick in the N.H.L. draft. Confetti rained down from the giant scoreboard that was tuned to the live proceedings in Montreal as the Coliseum rocked to chants of "Let's go Islanders." "I feel like I'm going to cry," said Martin Lopez, 18, of North Babylon, who was on hand to witness what fans say they are hoping will be the first step in their once-proud team's long-awaited return to ..."

Islanders take Tavares with No. 1 pick

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June 26

Newsday

"The Islanders selected goal-scoring machine John Tavares with No. 1 pick in Friday night's NHL draft in Montreal. Tavares was widely regarded as the surefire No. 1 pick in this year's draft. With the Islanders in need of scoring, Tavares fills an immediate need. Islanders GM Garth Snow stepped to the podium and made the announcement. Meanwhile, fans erupted with joy at the team's draft party at the Nassau Coliseum."

Isles fans apply heat for Tavares

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June 26

Montreal Gazette

"The beauty of the National Hockey League draft is that most of the people will leave town feeling good. There will be the odd junior player and his parents who sat through the two-day, seven-round ordeal without hearing his name called, but his agent will quickly assure him that he's better off being a free agent. The general managers and the scouts will tell you that they're happy even if they aren't. They're not about to tell their fans that all the highly ranked players on their list were gone when their turn came and they'll explain that they were surprised that their fifth-round choice was still available because "we had him ranked much higher." This year's draft is considered to be ..."

Islanders Have Their Pick of Blue Chippers in Draft

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June 26

New York Times

"Long Island may be a struggling hockey market in the eyes of some, but the full house expected at Nassau Coliseum on Friday night for the Islanders' draft party suggests otherwise. The expected crowd may be a sign of a growing interest in the N.H.L. entry draft across the continent. More likely, however, thousands of Islanders fans will gather to watch General Manager Garth Snow make the first overall pick on Versus' live telecast from Montreal and hope that the selection of one player can begin reviving the sagging fortunes of their once-proud club. That player is expected to be center John Tavares of the London Knights, the Ontario Hockey League's career scoring leader and most valuable ..."

Tavares? Hedman? Duchene? We'll know soon

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June 26

Newsday

"Throughout his junior career, goal-scoring machine John Tavares has been regarded as the surefire No. 1 pick in the NHL draft once he became eligible. But with Islanders general manager Garth Snow playing it close to the vest with the top pick, the suspense will continue until commissioner Gary Bettman steps to the podium at about 7:10 Friday nightat Bell Centre and says, "With the first pick in the 2009 draft, the Islanders select . . . '' Tavares, 6-6 Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman and late-closing center Matt Duchene, all of whom are being considered by Snow, will be on pins and needles. So, will No. 2 Tampa Bay and No. 3 Colorado, either of which could wind up with Tavares. Lightning ..."

Islanders have biggest draft decision

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June 25

Raleigh News & Observer

"John Tavares or Victor Hedman? Offense or defense? No. 1 or No. 2? With the start of the NHL entry draft just a day away, such is the conundrum -- and the nonstop guessing game. The New York Islanders have the No. 1 pick in the draft and the Tampa Bay Lightning the No. 2 pick, and no one outside of the Isles' front office and general manager Garth Snow can say with any certainty what the 1-2 order will be. E.J. McGuire, director of NHL Central Scouting, believes the Islanders will go with Tavares, the top scorer in the Ontario Hockey League with the London Knights and the forward voted MVP as Canada again won the gold medal at the World Junior Championship. "It will sound provincial, but ..."

Potvin: One Top Pick Can't Save Isles

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June 25

New York Post

"Denis Potvin said he doesn't know whom the Islanders are going to take with the first overall pick in tomorrow night's NHL Draft in Montreal, but he doesn't think expectations should be set too high for him. "This guy, whoever he is, is not the messiah," Potvin said of the pick, likely to be one of three players: forwards John Tavares and Matt Duchene or defenseman Victor Hedman. "Nobody is." Not even Sidney Crosby. "I'm sure they'll look down the road at Pittsburgh and what they were able to do with winning the Stanley Cup and getting a new arena and hope to do something similar," the Islanders' 1973 top overall pick said of the team's fans. "It's not going to happen overnight." But the ..."

Aaron Portzline looks ahead: New York Islanders

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June 24

Columbus Dispatch

columnist Aaron Portzline

"Mike Milbury, a TV expert these days, was the GM of the New York Islanders in the summer of 2000, the last time the Islanders held the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL entry draft. Milbury surprised many by drafting goaltender Rick DiPietro with the No. 1 overall pick, passing on Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik. To make matters worse and clear a spot for DiPietro Milbury traded goaltender Roberto Luongo and center Olli Jokinen to the Florida Panthers for forwards Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. Nearly a decade later, the Islanders still are digging out from under a long string of unconscionable decisions made by Milbury and a few others in the many years that followed. As a reward for having ..."

After the Big 3, it's open season

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June 21

Toronto Sun

"No curve balls are expected from the pitchers throwing out the first three names at the NHL draft. There's a slim chance the pitchers could change -- the Islanders, Lightning and Avalanche may yet be overwhelmed by a trade offer for their first pick on Friday night -- but a much better bet is they will choose John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene, respectively. "The first three picks have separated themselves," says Michael Oke, the chief scout for International Scouting Services. "Then, the next five to seven, everybody has a different opinion (as to where they'll go), but everybody thinks they'll be there." In putting together a mock draft for Sun Media, Oke and ISS director of ..."

Still a debate over who should be No.1

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June 21

Columbus Dispatch

"Ever since the 2008 NHL entry draft ended, a debate regarding this weekend's draft in Montreal has been in place: Who should be the No. 1 overall pick, playmaking center John Tavares or towering defenseman Victor Hedman? Now, there's a third name crowding the scene at the finish line, heart-and-soul center Matt Duchene. New York Islanders GM Garth Snow, who holds the No. 1 pick and doesn't plan on trading it, won't say whom he's leaning toward. "I made up my mind awhile ago," Snow told the New York Post. The safe bet remains Tavares, who has been a headline-maker in Canada since he was granted "exceptional player" status and allowed entry into the Ontario Hockey League as a 14-year-old. ..."

Snow Has Made Up Mind On Top Pick

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June 19

New York Post

"A blue Matt Duchene Islanders jersey sits in an office at Nassau Coliseum. A sign that the Islanders are going to make the forward the top pick in Friday's draft? Not exactly. It turns out that there is a John Tavares jersey underneath that one and a Victor Hedman sweater buried below. But there apparently is no more need for more than one sweater, since GM Garth Snow said yesterday that he has made his decision and knows who it's going to be. "I made up my mind a while ago," Snow said yesterday at the Coliseum. "This is a big moment. We'll get a special player." The consensus is that the Isles will pick the center Tavares, but the defenseman Hedman and forward Duchene clearly remain ..."

Ex-Nets, Isles Owner Dies At 79

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June 9

New York Post

"It bothers Rod Thorn that Roy Boe is remembered primarily as the man who sold Julius Erving from the Nets and not as the kind of boss the Nets team president knew. Boe, the first owner of the New York Islanders and the Nets owner who helped forge the NBA-ABA merger, died Sunday at a Bridgeport, Conn., hospital after a long illness. He was 79. "He was a great guy to work for," recalled Thorn, who was hired as a Nets assistant in 1973. "A terrific guy. Upbeat, positive. We had a great situation." Boe, born in Brooklyn in 1929, but a Fairfield, Conn., resident, bought the ABA Nets from trucking magnate Arthur Brown in 1969. The Nets acquired Erving in 1973, won the ABA title in 1974 and then ..."

25 years ago, the Islanders' dynasty ended

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June 7

Newsday

"It's been a quarter-century since the world watched Wayne Gretzky hoist the Edmonton Oilers' first Stanley Cup over his head. Bob Nystrom can remember the moment as if it were yesterday. "I was heartbroken that night," the former Islanders wing said. "I think everyone on the team felt that way. We were destroyed." Now it's the Detroit Red Wings who are hoping not to have their hearts broken by the up-and-coming Pittsburgh Penguins. This year's Stanley Cup Finals marks the first time two teams have played in consecutive Finals since the Islanders and Edmonton did it in 1983 and 1984. The parallels between the two series are so intriguing that it is worth looking back at the Finals that ..."

Isles can relocate - but not to Canada

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June 4

Montreal Gazette

"Gary Bettman has spent the past few weeks talking about the National Hockey League's concern for the fans in its existing franchises. Bettman's mantra has been: "We don't run out on cities." It's a noble sentiment, but it hasn't kept the NHL and some of its member clubs from threatening to abandon existing markets. A case in point is the New York Islanders, a once-proud franchise that would be happy to achieve mediocrity. Owner Charles Wang, who is trying to extort Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead into approving his plans for a multi-purpose development anchored by a renovated Nassau Coliseum, delivered a not-too-subtle threat after a public meeting with local politicians this week. ..."

Former Isles Captain Enjoying Cup Run

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May 29

New York Post

"Less than three months ago, Bill Guerin was in limbo. His time with the last-place Islanders appeared to be over, but he hadn't been traded and didn't play in consecutive games. Now, the Islanders former captain will play in the Stanley Cup Finals starting tomorrow when the Penguins visit the Red Wings. "I didn't know if I'd ever get another chance at something like this," the 38-year-old Guerin said from Pittsburgh. "I wanted it to be with the Islanders, but that wasn't going to happen. So whatever happened before doesn't matter now. And the Islanders always treated me well." At the time, Guerin called the prolonged trade drama a "painful process," but the results have been better than he ..."

Hockey's Islanders Feeling Cast Away

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May 24

New York Times

columnist George Vecsey

"In the first warm weather of spring, it's time to think about heading toward Jones Beach. But first, like a regular Indiana Jones, I make a detour past the empty tomb of the ancient empire - Raiders of the Lost Cup. Flashback: Arriving for a Stanley Cup finals game with the May sun in my eyes, circa 1980-84. Mike Bossy stealing a pass from Harold Snepsts and killing the Canucks in overtime. Anders Kallur, wearing only an athletic supporter, displaying the Cup to his relatives from Sweden. Laughter and pride and success. No doubt, fans in other places have their memories. Chicago fans remember Jordan and Pippen. San Francisco fans remember Montana and Rice. Pittsburgh fans remember ..."

Which option will Islanders' choose for NHL draft

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May 17

Newsday

"There are less than six weeks left until the June 26 NHL draft in which the Islanders hold the No. 1 pick ahead of Tampa Bay and Colorado. The consensus top three prospects are London center John Tavares, Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman and Brampton center Matt Duchene. Here are three of the many scenarios for how events could play out at the top of the draft: 1. John Tavares, the all-time leading goal scorer in the Ontario Hockey League, is the clear favorite among Islanders fans hoping to land a pure scorer to fill the team's most glaring need. But one major scouting service, "Redline Report," recently dropped Tavares behind Victor Hedman in its rankings, and Toronto general manager ..."

Bettman Feels Islanders' Pain

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May 7

New York Post

"NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Islanders owner Charles Wang had every right to publicly claim last weekend that he regrets buying the financially ailing club eight years ago. "He regrets buying the team because he never thought it would take this long to get a new arena," an emotional Bettman said after a Wall Street Journal symposium featuring the four major-sports commissioners. "And his stamina, both emotionally and financially, is to be admired. I don't blame him. There's no dispute the Islanders need a new arena and it is something that has to be addressed. It's frustrating to everybody involved in the process. They're not going to stay in the Nassau Coliseum a minute longer than ..."

Commissioners of the big four sports gather to discuss 'The Future of Sports'

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May 7

New York Daily News

"They are portrayed as having the job security of a Supreme Court justice or the president of North Korea, but even the commissioners of the four major North American sports have to occasionally answer questions about the future of their sports at a time when, as one of them said, the economy is in the greatest downturn since the Great Depression. Wednesday, Bud Selig of Major League Baseball, Roger Goodell of the National Football League, David Stern of the National Basketball Association and Gary Bettman of the National Hockey League assembled at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Midtown Manhattan to discuss some of the issues facing an enterprise with a combined revenue of $21.2 billion. ..."

DiPietro, Orr patch up their differences

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April 24

Globe and Mail

"A 32-month dispute between New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro and his former agent, Bobby Orr, has been resolved. DiPietro will fork over $300,000 (U.S.) to the Orr Hockey Group as the result of a settlement between the two sides over a quarrel stemming from the whopping 15-year, $67.5-million contract DiPietro signed in September of 2006. The Islanders goalie had refused to pay the agent's fee on the grounds he had not signed a standard player agent contract (SPAC) with Paul Krepelka, who works for Orr's agency. Krepelka never disputed that a SPAC was not signed, but felt DiPietro still owed the Orr Hockey Group because he negotiated the contract. Orr filed a grievance with the ..."

Tavares' life filled with mystery

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April 21

Toronto Star

columnist Dave Feschuk

"Prominent conspiracy theorists unfurled a beauty last week: The hypothesis went that Brian Burke's announcement of his intention to land John Tavares in the NHL draft wasn't simply a brilliant stroke of headline-commanding genius. It was also a message to Tavares, an Oakville native and a lifelong Leafs fan. Burke's coded communication to the likely No.1? Something like: "We want you, son, and we know you love us. Now pull an Eric Lindros and make it known to the New York Islanders, holders of the first pick, that you have zero intention of playing for their sorry organization." It was tantalizing stuff, but Tavares put that theory to bed last night:"

Tavares doesn't plan holdout

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April 20

Globe and Mail

"John Tavares was thrilled when Brian Burke declared he would move heaven and earth to try to get him in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform. But if the New York Islanders use their first pick overall in the NHL entry draft on Tavares, as expected, Tavares will become an Islander. There will be no Eric Lindros-style holdout even though Tavares grew up in Oakville, Ont., worshipping Steve Thomas, Mats Sundin, Curtis Joseph and the Maple Leafs. "It was a big surprise to me," Tavares said of the declaration by Burke, the Leafs' president and general manager, that he will try to trade up in the draft to take Tavares. "Obviously, that doesn't happen very often. It was also flattering to have an NHL ..."

Is Tavares stranded on Island?

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April 20

Globe and Mail

"Nobody's grown up wanting to play for the New York Islanders since the early 1980s, so it's hilarious listening to people who think it's a big deal that John Tavares hasn't just come out and said he has no interest in helping clean up the mess left over from Mike Milbury's reign of error. As I pointed out last Monday, Brian Burke, the Toronto Maple Leafs' president and general manager, in effect offered to rescue Tavares from the obscurity that is the Islanders, and the message won't be lost on the player or his agent, Pat Brisson. Burke has more financial ammunition than anybody in hockey. He can take on onerous contracts from the Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning in return for ..."

Chatty Leafs GM Won't Steal Isles' Top Pick

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April 19

New York Post

"The grandstand ing Brian Burke got the attention on TSN and in the Toronto newspapers that he apparently needs the way the rest of us need air to breathe, but the general manager of the Maple Leafs isn't going to get the first pick of the Entry Draft from the Islanders, no matter how often he announces his intention to get it from Garth Snow. Slap Shots has learned from a well-placed source that when Burke, as announced and as promised, placed a call to the winner of the lottery (the Islanders victorious in the postseason, quite the novelty, by the way), he was told by Snow that the Islanders would be willing to deal, all right . . . willing to deal for Toronto's seventh-overall selection, ..."

Burke eyes draft dance partners

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April 16

Globe and Mail

"Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke may have found two willing partners in his effort to trade up in the NHL entry draft in June and land budding superstar John Tavares. New York Islanders GM Garth Snow and Tampa Bay Lightning counterpart Brian Lawton, who hold the Nos. 1 and 2 picks, respectively, in the 2009 draft, have both said they are at least willing to discuss a trade with Burke. Snow could not be reached for comment yesterday, but has indicated to reporters on Long Island that he will listen to any pitch for the team's first-overall selection. Lawton said the same thing yesterday - although he would not reveal if he is leaning toward keeping or trading the second pick. ..."

Burke playing dial-a-deal

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April 16

Toronto Star

"Neither the New York Islanders nor the Tampa Bay Lightning have closed the door on trading the top two picks in June's NHL entry draft. So Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke will continue trying to barge his way through in his pursuit of star centre John Tavares, the projected first overall pick. Burke, as he promised he would, has already started contacting teams above Toronto in the draft pecking order in an attempt to move up from the seventh slot. And he shows no signs of backing away from targeting Tavares."

Prying pick from Isles tough task for Burke

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April 15

Toronto Star

columnist Damien Cox

"Brian Burke's done this kind of thing before, and he's done it well. It wasn't just that he made bold draft moves to land Chris Pronger in 1993 and the Sedin twins in 1999. It's that he correctly projected those players to be the best talents of their draft class, a more difficult process by far than playing chess with draft picks. So when Burke says he has his eye on getting the No.1 pick in the 2009 entry draft and using it to acquire John Tavares, well, there's evidence to suggest the man knows what he's talking about."

Islanders nab No. 1 pick; Wild set to12th

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April 15

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Wild will pick 12th in the first round of the NHL entry draft in Montreal. A lottery drawing was conducted Tuesday night to determine the first 14 spots in the June 26-27 draft. The New York Islanders landed the No. 1 selection, after finishing with the fewest points in the league this season and having a 48.2 percent chance of drawing the top pick. The thought is they willhighly touted 6-foot, 195-pound forward John Tavares of the London (Ontario) Knights. He is the top North American available, according to the Central Scouting Rankings. But anything can happen, as Toronto General Manager Brian Burke knows."

Pick 1: Islanders Hit Lotto Jackpot

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April 15

New York Post

"After a dreadful season that featured almost too many injuries and losses to count, the Islanders finally won something: the top pick in this year's NHL draft. Although they had the best chance at getting the No. 1 pick, you could be forgiven for not believing they would actually wind up with it. So maybe, down the road, this awful year will prove to have been worth it -- if GM Garth Snow selects the right player on June 26 in Montreal. "There is a lot of pressure," Snow said on a conference call, adding that the news "put a huge smile on my face." Now, the next step is seeing whom the Isles select. The two best players in this year's draft by nearly all accounts are center John Tavares ..."

Isles Get Chance to 'Pick' Winner

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April 14

New York Post

"Even if the Islanders get the first pick in tonight's NHL Draft lottery, GM Garth Snow insists he doesn't know whom the team will pick. "It's still too early in the process," Snow said after meeting with players yesterday at the Coliseum as the team broke up after an ugly season. "Obviously, it's a big night, but we know we're going to get a good hockey player." Since the Isles finished with the worst record in the league, they'll pick no later than second -- unless they trade down, which Snow did a year ago and wouldn't rule out doing again. He also hopes to look at his franchise goalie on the ice when training camp opens over the summer. Of a report that said that Rick DiPietro, who ..."

NHL Draft drawing to be conducted Tuesday

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April 14

NHL.com

"The National Hockey League Draft Drawing, a weighted system to determine the order of selection for the first 14 picks of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, will take place Tuesday, April 14, at 8 p.m. ET at the NHL's New York City office. The League will unveil the results of the Draft Drawing live during a 30-minute program produced and televised by TSN in Canada and simulcast on VERSUS in the U.S. The show also will be streamed live on NHL.com and TSN.ca. NHL Network will re-broadcast the Draft Drawing in the U.S. only at 9 p.m., ET. Clubs that did not qualify for this season's Stanley Cup Playoffs, or clubs that acquired the first-round picks of those non-playoff clubs, will participate. Under ..."

Bruins look back, ahead

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April 13

Boston Globe

"Last night, for the final time in the regular season, the Bruins skated off the ice, dropped off their sticks to be packed, and trudged into the dressing room. "Good season boys," Marc Savard said to his teammates. "Long season. But we made it." Several minutes after the finale, coach Claude Julien addressed his players. From behind the closed doors, a loud cheer and applause could be heard in the adjacent hallway at Nassau Coliseum. "I congratulated those guys for a really good regular season," said Julien, whose team goes into the books with a 53-19-4-6 record, second in the league only to San Jose. "I think they deserve it. It's something that's one step toward the ultimate goal. Right ..."

Isles' Disastrous Season Comes to a Fitting Finish

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April 13

New York Post

"A season in which the Islanders finished with the worst record in the league, saw their franchise goalie go down with an injury yet again and had the team's future on Long Island called into question finally came to an end yesterday. And as the seconds ticked down on another loss -- this one a 6-2 defeat to the Eastern Conference champion Bruins -- what fans remained at Nassau Coliseum let it be known they hoped something positive would come of this year. So they chanted, "John Tavares." Of course, chanting for the player likely to be the top draft pick won't do much good. The Isles simply need some good fortune tomorrow night at the draft lottery, when they will have the best chance of ..."

After burying Isles, Bruins ready for Habs

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April 13

Boston Herald

"For the 32nd time in 85 years, if the Bruins want to win the Stanley Cup, they must first defeat the Montreal Canadiens. The B's dreadful lack of success in that regard - a record of 7-24 in playoff series against the Canadiens - is the biggest reason the B's have not won a Cup in 37 years, and have captured the NHL's grand prize only five times in team history. Overall, it's been a long time since the Bruins entered a postseason with legitimate Stanley Cup hopes. The B's have won only one series in their last 10. But the hopes of the Bruins and their fans are extremely high this time around - not just to get by the Canadiens starting with Game 1 at the Garden on Thursday - but to go deep ..."

Stanley Cup Playoffs to begin Wednesday night

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April 13

NHL.com

"A pair of rematches, Broadway and a grueling goaltending battle highlights the Eastern Conference storylines. A first-timer, a resurgent franchise, "The Kid Line," the Presidents' Trophy winners and the defending Stanley Cup champions reign in the West. From coast to coast, the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs promises to nourish any hockey lover's soul as soon as the puck is dropped. It begins Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET when the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals open at Verizon Center on TSN, while the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins do the same at Mellon Arena on VERSUS, CBC and RDS. The Detroit Red Wings begin defense of their 2008 Stanley Cup championship Thursday against ..."

Flyers hand Islanders 3rd straight loss

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April 12

New York Daily News

"The Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers are looking to the future. The Flyers have their sights set on the playoffs, while the last-place Islanders are focusing on the draft. Martin Biron stopped 30 shots and Simon Gagne had a goal and an assist in Philadelphia's 3-2 win at Nassau Coliseum Saturday, assuring the Flyers of either the No.4 or 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round date with Pittsburgh. A point today against the Rangers gives Philly the fourth spot and home ice; otherwise, the Pens have home ice. The Islanders (26-46-9), who already have secured the NHL's worst record, lost their third straight after falling 9-0 at Carolina and 6-1 in Pittsburgh earlier in the ..."

Isles' Eyes on Draft Lottery After Another Loss

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April 12

New York Post

"The Islanders already have clinched the worst record in the league, and now the only thing that matters is what happens on Tuesday, when the NHL holds its draft lottery. After the team's ninth loss in its last 11 games -- a 3-2 defeat to the Flyers at the Coliseum yesterday -- players spoke relatively optimistically of the team's future. For example, Pittsburgh and Washington had dreadful seasons in recent years, but were able to turn those into players like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. "They don't come along too often," Mark Streit said. The Flyers, too, were in a similar situation to what the Isles are in now, finishing with the fewest points in the league two years ago, and the ..."

Isles' second-half progress gives Gordon hope

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April 11

Newsday

"First-year Islanders coach Scott Gordon, as he often has done recently, spoke again Friday of a hockey season divided in two. "The second half flew by," he said. "It was fun. Guys had a great attitude. The last three months felt like a month and a half. "The first three months felt like two years. No. Three years." The second half brought the sense of teamwork, recalling the famous meditation of togetherness by 16th century poet John Donne that "as therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come . . . No man is an island, entire onto itself." Compare that to the first half, which seemed to prove that no man is an Islander, ..."

Bailey: Isles Can Turn It Around Next Year

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April 11

New York Post

"Josh Bailey doesn't have to look back too far to recall another season similar to the one he's gone through during his rookie year with the cellar-dwelling Islanders. Two years ago, Bailey was traded to the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League and played the final 42 games mired in the bottom of the standings. "I got there halfway through it and it was almost just like it is here," Bailey said. "We were in last place and things never got out of it." And he believes that there were indeed positive things that happened as a result of those struggles. "In Windsor, we had a bunch of young guys who were trying to get better," Bailey said. "The younger players had a chance to play and ..."

Isles lose, clinch top spot going into lottery

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April 10

Newsday

"There was no way to gracefully celebrate the Islanders' 6-1 loss to Pittsburgh last night at Mellon Arena, even if it did allow the Isles to clinch last place in the NHL standings and the top spot going into Tuesday's draft lottery. Because no team can drop more than one position in the lottery, they are assured of getting either sniper John Tavares or offensive defenseman Victor Hedman in the draft June 26 in Montreal. Goodness knows they can use some help, as their eighth loss in the past 10 games indicated. Former Islanders captain Bill Guerin, who was traded March 4, scored to trigger a three-goal third period by the Penguins. Guerin's 21st goal was set up by a brilliant play by ..."

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